Edwards has Passion for Teaching and Reading

Mrs. Jo Anna Edwards joined Gerstell Academy in 2007 as a fifth-grade teacher yet found her true calling as a third-grade classroom leader. During her 11 years at Gerstell, she has enjoyed sharing her time and talents by serving as Lower School liaison for the Language Arts department and volunteering with during- and after-school groups.

 

She coaches one of three Lower School Geography Bee teams, and works as a director of First LEGO League, Jr. where she shares responsibility of overseeing five teams. In January, Mrs. Edwards will launch One School, One Book®, a family literacy initiative designed to create a shared reading experience across the Lower School community.

 

With 23 years of devoted teaching experience spanning first grade through college, Mrs. Edwards feels she has "seen it all." She reflects often on Portrait Leader Ben Franklin's quote: "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."

 

With a passion for reading, she joins literature and science in the classroom as she creatively involves students in STEAM challenges. "Children are individual learners with a variety of learning styles and interests," said Mrs. Edwards as she describes her philosophy. "It is imperative to involve every student in the learning process."

 

Mrs. Edwards encourages her students to FAIL frequently - an acronym for First Attempt In Learning. In doing so, she teaches resilience and failure-tolerance, something we value in successful students. Third graders think failure is crucial; those students gladly will inform school visitors, "Mrs. Edwards makes learning FUN!"

 

Residents of Hanover, Pennsylvania, Mrs. Edwards and her family own a dog and two cats. Outside of the classroom, she can be found at Swan Lake Stables with her horse-enthusiast daughter, or on a baseball field with her son.

 

Born and raised in West Virginia, Mrs. Edwards is a devoted WVU Mountaineer fan. She enjoys perusing antique stores, decorating, vacations, and preparing for the holidays. Guess how many Christmas trees the Edwards have in their home? (Including one which is WVU themed!) Answer: Six plus two outside! Now that's the holiday spirit!